ICC praises player behaviour, officiating

The International Cricket Council has praised the behaviour of the players and the positive influence of the match officials during the just-concluded World Twenty20 in England.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said throughout the 17-day tournament, which for the first time included a women's section running in conjunction with the men's event, there was not a single formal code of conduct issue for any of the players of the 20 teams involved (12 men's and eight women's).

"The spirit of this tournament has been one of the great aspects of it," said Lorgat.

"We talk a lot about the spirit of cricket and what it means to our sport but ultimately it is down to the players to conduct themselves in the best manner and I have been very impressed with their contributions in that regard," he said in a statement.

"Sometimes when the heat is on and a tense battle is unfolding, there is a tendency for players to lose their cool but that just didn't happen this time. It is great for the image of the game and how it is perceived by the wider public that this unique spirit is maintained," he added.

Lorgat also paid tribute to the role of the match officials in helping to foster this atmosphere of friendly rivalry.

"I thought our umpires and match referees collectively had a great tournament. They can be very proud," he said.

"The quality of decision-making was very high but also there are plenty of aspects of an umpire's or referee's job that are not so visible. How they interact with players on and off the field can affect how the game is played and I think our match officials generally have a good rapport with players.

"There is a genuine sense of mutual respect and, perhaps more importantly, a universal respect for the game. So I want to thank the players and the officials for their part in making the event such a great success," he said.